News // Academic strike in Ontario college system

More than 12,000 Ontario college professors, instructors, counsellors and librarians took job action Oct. 16 seeking longer contracts for partial-load faculty and the adoption of academic freedom guarantees. Represented by the Ontario Public Sector Employees Union, the teachers are also calling for the number of full-time faculty to match the number of faculty members on contract with the College Employer Council.

“College teachers in Ontario are taking a stand for quality education, and they have the support of academic staff across the country,” says CAUT executive director David Robinson. “The principles at stake — job security, academic freedom, and better governance — are ones worth fighting for.”

The issues have resonated with university teachers across the country, with many academic staff association members and CAUT standing in solidarity with the striking workers, joining picket lines and attending rallies throughout Ontario.